The best way to stay in the nitro side of the hobby is to get fuel in bulk if you can. For example, if you order 3 cases or more of 30 percent from Magnum it works out to be roughly 21 bucks a gallon. I couldn't continue flying nitro if I had to pay $30 and up for every gallon.

The question about whether or not I'd stay nitro if the costs were halved and if electric had the same flight time is a good one. I'd probably stay nitro only because it is what I know and it offers enough power for how I fly. Less cleanup might be nice, but honestly a paper towel or two with a little cleaner doesn't take me long.

I literally never use the word literally right.

i am very pleased with all of the responses i am getting and exactly where i expected this topic to go.

Mckrackin: What is nice is the torco place is here locally. not too far from me, so the drive may even be more of a discount, but not sure.

Skytrekin: Thanks for that, i didnt know about that place. Not thats two places locally.

The price at my LHS is very high. When i worked there, i had people always complaining. I dont blame them either for complaining.

I wish i could get a turbine. Now that would be fun and people love em.

I am really going to have to check out that OS 15 gas engine. If its not too loud, may go that route. But doubt its quiet at all. The local flyers sometimes complain about the nitro i used to have even though my friends and i were flying there first until the local club closed and everyone started flying there. But i took care of that quick and scared them off by flying crazy, and loud blade pops

i think i may stick to nitro over gas lol.
Its a bit louder and doesnt have as much power.
Main reason of nitro for me: Have a few bucks left over after i get rid of my electric, and flight duration. I like to slam on the stick with me electric and its not teaching me anything. The nitro can and will bog at some point and that will teach me collective management. And no one has nitro at fun flys too much anymore. At the Phoenix fun fly, maybe a few. Always a crowd pleaser with smoke flying and flowing across the ground, and people getting a whif of the smell. For some reason with nitro and having a little less power than electric, it always seems to have an intimidating factor. I like the scare and intimidation. And most of all the fact most of the old guys will get scared away.
Darn plank guys. A few are an exception

I think it depends on how each person weighs each merit.

For example, the cleaning issue doesn't bother me one bit. I like a dirty heli. Actually, there is one thing I don't like about Nitros and that's that bug guts don't stick to the oily blades.

As for the power differences, when you can set up a Nitro that you can throw 16 degrees of pitch at high RPM and not bog it, how can you use more power? Now most Nitros aren't set up that way and this leads to another complexity. You're dealing with a non-stock setup. Not as easy to do as with electric. But, I like spending time on such things. Not all do though.

Most Nitros are set up for reasonable power, light weight and nice duration. Many people find this good for them, and it is a realm that electrics don't match well in in my experience.

As for the speed cup, I don't think anyone has ever put a real effort in a Nitro entry. In fact, I think a "serious" entry would probably not qualify the way the rules are written. I'm not certain of course, but I see no technical reason why a "serious" Nitro entry couldn't win. If speed runs weigh high on your list, and you want stuff that's readily available, then electric is the way no doubt.

Then there's one area Nitros will always win in my book. Sound, smell and smoke. Not important to all of course but try this some day. Take 10 guys from outside of the hobby. Show them a Nitro and an electric flight. Then ask them which they want to see again. I've done this, the results are interesting.

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I literally never use the word literally right.

A well tuned nitro doesn't get all that messy by the way.
I keep mine in the house...on carpet or anywhere I want.
The blades get a film on them but that's about it.

Really ? If I run any leaner, my engine will start heating up and sounding lean.

The canopy is usually just a film, but the exhaust side of the frames and down the tailboom/tb supports definitely need a wipe down. It's not dripping off by any means, but it will attract and hold any dirt/fibers floating around in the air. What can I say....I like a clean heli.

Needless to say, I wipe my nitro helis down after each flying day.

I fly both nitro and at this point, only 450 and down sized electric(although I see a Logo in my future). I like nitro for the smoke (love playing with that in the rotorwash on a calm day ), and the long flight times. I like electrics for the power both overall and the consistency from day to day in different weather, and no cleaning except occasionally to get the grass stains off.

I like both, both require charging, no plan in the future of not having both. I like the simplicity of charge and fly of electric. But I also love the cranking, tuning, smell, sound of nitro.

This is a question that will always divide people for reasons that elude me. Fly what you like and let others do the same.

Personally, I love both nitro and electric. When I go to the club, I take both but fly 90% nitro (ENV90N and Fury 55) because I like to max my stick time and I can't be bothered with walking back to the pit area every 4 minutes. But I'll also have 3 or 4 flights with a 600 or 700 electric for variety and the power-to-weight can't be beaten. When I fly back home at the field behind my house, it's electric only, 250-500 size, to keep the neighbours happy and I love the fact that electric gives me that option whenever I have a spare half hour.

That is considerably louder than an electric of equivalent size. And, the electric will have considerably more power, too.

as for the gasser just setup a generator on board and don't worry about charge.

my electrics are just setting, I hardly ever fly them. I have a cfs hurricane 550 and a rex 450 fbl. my raptor 50 titan is my go to bird and gets the most flights, the 90 is second in line and then the FBl raptor 30, with os 37 and hyper rage 55 pipe, that little thing screams and has good power for a 30.
I don't mind the mess I wipe my helis off after every day of flying and it takes 3 mins tops. I have a capped muffler plug and my helicopters hang on the wall set in the floor and in my vehicles with no problems.

I love both of them but if I were to buy a new on right now it would be nitro of gas

I love my nitro but if you do not have any local assistance it can be a nightmare attempting to diagnose vibration issues. I have a Mini-Vbar on my NX4 that I have to tighten down with a hose clamp in order for it to work at all without twitching all over the place. I have replaced every moving part and I still have issues. I realize it's a personal problem but for people who like to enjoy the hobby on their own Nitro models can be a headache. I am glad to have gotten a nitro which has exposed me to where it all started but I can understand why people go with electrics after all of the issues I have had. If people complain about wiping down their model after they fly I can imagine the lack of maintenance on their models. A 30 second clean up can't be that big of a deal????